Kohli, Agarwal fifties drive India after Holder shines

Kingston, Aug 31: Fifties from Virat Kohli and opener Mayank Agarwal drove Indiato a reasonable position on a back-and-forth opening day of the second Test againstWest Indies here at Sabina Park on Friday.

Put in to bat, India finished the day on 264/5, with their captain having starred with a163-ball 76, before being dismissed by a fantastic leg-cutter from Jason Holder. Agarwal, the other half-centurion, scored a 127-ball 55.

India began the day swiftly. They scored at six an over, before KL Rahuledged Holder to Rakheem Cornwall, one of two debutants for the West Indies,alongside wicket-keeper Jahmar Hamilton.

Holder called Cornwall into the attack within the first hour, and the off-spinner quicklytook his maiden international wicket, having Cheteshwar Pujara caught by SharmarhBrooks at backward point for 6.

This bought Kohli to the crease, and he and Agarwal added 69 for the third wicket,helping India regain control. Agarwal notched up his third Test half-century, beforebecoming the second batsman to fall to the caught-Cornwall-bowled-Holdercombination, an ICC report said.

Thereafter, another promising partnership developed, this one between Kohli and hisdeputy Ajinkya Rahane, who had scored a match-winning century in the second innings of the first Test. Rahane watched Kohli go past fifty, but himself fell well short of the mark, as Kemar Roach found his edge, giving Hamilton his first catch in Test cricket.

Kohli had looked set for a hundred, but fell 18 overs before the end of play. It broughttogether the relatively inexperienced duo of Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant, but they rose to the challenge, taking India through to stumps with an unbeaten stand of 62.Vihari finished the day on 42 not out. Pant, meanwhile, had settled in with a 64-ball 27 not out.(UNI)